Jac's roundup of pop culture news and Internet findings

The fellas of Mad Men showed off their mad manes (sorry)
when Jon Hamm and Pete Campbell revealed some pretty epic ‘dos to the public
this week.Let’s start with
Mr. Draper. Apparently in all my research of Jon Hamm (Read: browsing his
free-ballin’ pics), neither I — nor the rest of the
Internet — realized the star had appeared on the short-lived dating show The Big Date in 1996. The USA Network game show was hosted by Mark Walberg (the Antiques Roadshow one, not the triple-nipple one). Then-25-year-old
Hamm, identified on the show as a waiter, rocked the classic ‘90s parted shaggy
‘do (which I like to call the Shawn Hunter).
And as if that wasn’t enough to confuse your boner (or ladyboner), just watch as he
describes his perfect first date: (Cut to the 2-minute mark for Hamm’s
introduction, but seriously just watch the whole thing).
TOTAL FABULOUSITY! For
some unknown reason that will go down as one of life’s biggest mysteries, Hamm
did not go on to win a date. FOR SHAME!
OK, fast forward
to modern times at the Mad Men premiere
party last week. Vincent Kartheiser aka
Pete Campbell showed up looking like he started to pull a Britney
before changing his mind and running to the red carpet.Apparently the actor shaves his bang area (why does that sound so dirty) so his character Pete
can have a receding hairline — because
obviously — but couldn’t he achieve that look with makeup and a bald cap? Or
why not just shave the whole thing? This is especially bothersome to me because, as a child, I was convinced you didn't need to "grow out" your bangs once you grew tired of them, you just had to cut them off. This could have been me: WHAT IS HAPPENING
Mad Men’s
final season premieres Sunday night at 10 p.m. on AMC. Like Breaking Bad, this final season will be split between this year and
next. Read more in this week’s TV column.
This week in movie
remake fuckery: The Goonies 2 is
coming atchu.
David Letterman
realized Leno wasn’t backing out of retirement this time, so he hopped on the
bandwagon and announced he’d be
leaving The Late Show in 2015. Chelsea
Handler also recently revealed she’ll be leaving E! when her contract is up in
a few months, and is one of many celebs rumored to be considered to take Dave’s
place. (Her first change: Swap out Stupid Pet Tricks for Stupid Vagina Tricks.
Or maybe just Stupid Tricks, a game show with hookers? Call me for more ideas,
Chels!) Stephen Colbert is at the center of these rumors as well,
as his Colbert Report contract also ends
at the end of this year. Meanwhile Late Late host and Letterman follow-up Craig
Ferguson
waits in the shadows as 75 percent of Americans still think Craig Ferguson is
"the black guy from The Office."
Wah waaahhh
Iconic album art
like The Beatle’s Abbey Road can transform
ordinary places into fan destinations. Check out these classic record
covers inserted into their respective Google street view locations.
Normally grown-ass
women with a hardcore love for Disney turn me off — everyone’s entitled to a
nostalgia fest every now and again, but you should not see Frozen three times in theaters if you do not have a child in your
life. And there’s a new announcement for you:
Anna Kendrick
hosted Saturday Night Live for the
first time this weekend and her debut featured not one but two nods to Disney
with her Beauty and the Beast-themed monologue and, later, a Little
Mermaid bit.
But — as you’ll see from the links — Kendrick’s stint was anything but basic.
Bravo, Anna! This will certainly be a highlight episode of the season.
Could you use
$500,000? Have you always wanted to be on TV? Are you either a soft-spoken
racial minority or a loud-mouthed racist?
Big Brother is casting its 16th
season and the crew will be in Cincinnati next month to scope prospects. According
to the online application, casting is curious about important personal
information like applicants' weight, hair color and a “self biography” of a
whopping 70 words. Those interested in being locked in a house, recorded 24/7
by 65 cameras and 98 microphones and pitted against some of the worst human
beings on the planet can apply in person at Mount Adams Pavilion between 11
a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday, May 2.

A sketchy take on the Glee phenomenon, Pitch Perfect
dances around Beca (Anna Kendrick), a Barden University freshman who
would rather be producing music from her fresh beats than singing staid
acapella tunes with an all-girls group desperate to beat their male
campus rivals in competition.

Jason Reitman hits the zeitgeist jackpot with his moving, genre-juggling 'Up in the Air'

Jason Reitman's sleek yet affecting 'Up in the Air' confirms once and for all that the 32-year-old filmmaker is more than just Diablo Cody's 'Juno' bitch or the opportunistic son of a Hollywood insider. His deft adaptation of Walter Kirn's source novel is a darkly humorous look at the life of Ryan Bingham (a never-better George Clooney), an emotionally stunted "career transition consultant."

Clooney and co. shine in Jason Reitman's entertaining drama

Don't over-think this one, folks. As awards season kicks into high gear, commentators of all stripes are going to talk about 'Up in the Air' in terms of its zeitgeist relevance, its timely attention to economic instability and the corporations that feast on the carrion of the down-sized and dispossessed. And in so doing, they will overlook how simply satisfying it is as a piece of filmmaking. Grade: A-.